Monday, November 7, 2016

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Radishes


I don't know why brussels sprouts got such a bad reputation when I was a kid, but they did.  They were presumably soooo awful, I never ate them, because my mom never cooked them - but 'brussels sprouts' were universally understood to mean 'disgusting vegetable only a truly evil person would try to make me eat'.

I never gave it a lot of thought until I was in my 40s and regularly ate lunch at work at a pay-by-the-pound buffet next to where I worked. One of their regular menu items was a roasted blend of brussels sprouts and radishes. I love radishes!  And I'd never had one roasted, so I was intrigued.  I dished a small portion to try out, and gingerly tried a bite.... and that was it.  I loved the blend! I love the sprouts!

I will eat them several ways, but roasted remains my favorite way - it is unfussy, very tasty, and a bit of salt, oil and balsamic vinegar is all that's needed to tame the bitter qualities and create a rich,  delicious mouthful.  The radishes add an earthy tang and some pretty color.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Radishes
(serves 4)

1 package fresh brussels sprouts, quartered
6-8 red radishes, scrubbed & quartered
3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
a generous sprinkle sea salt, to taste

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375F.

Toss vegetables and oil together in a bowl and spread out on the parchment paper in a single layer.

Sprinkle evenly with balsamic vinegar and salt.

Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes. Vegetables should be well browned and crispy on the outside.

We served this along with some Lemon-Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs, and a rice & wild rice blend.

It would go well with any autumn dish that includes a good balance of earthy, intense flavors.

If, like me, you don't trust brussels sprouts, give them a try roasted like this.  You might be surprised!



12 comments:

  1. We just had roasted brussels sprouts for dinner tonight!

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  2. HI Lynda,
    This sounds like such a healthy and tasty side dish. Roasted vegetables is always a warming dish for any meal. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!l.

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  3. I would not have thought to put radishes with the dish, it does add some nice color and flavor.

    Kathleen
    Bloggers Pit Stop

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  4. I absolutely love Brussels sprouts and radishes! Everyone always thinks I'm crazy for growing them, along with turnips, and eating them haha. Thanks for sharing, pinning for later!

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  5. My mom did cook Brussel sprouts growing up and I hated them. But I think they are yummy now! I roasted some for dinner just the other night. I've never tried adding radishes. I'll have to, sounds good. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  6. I never tried it like that! We usually just cook them and season them.
    I need to give this a try!

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  7. I love this combination of veggies, this looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you had a great week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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  8. How big would you say a package of brussel sprouts is? We only get them individually in our produce dept.

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  9. Ohhh - I like the addition of radishes! Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!

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  10. Lynda, we never had brussel sprouts growing up either. My grandfather loved them, he would eat them everyday, but my mom was not a fan. Which is odd, she loves cabbage sauteed in butter. I recently took some roasted veggies home for dinner, it included brussel sprouts, she gingerly tasted them and loved them. LOL Roasted brussel sprouts for the win! I have not added radishes to the mix, I'm definitely going to try it! Thanks for the recipe.

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